Automated cyber-attacks that exploit web applications have been on the rise throughout the past decade, growing in both frequency and variety. Many of these cyber-attacks have potentially devastating consequences. For instance, a recent automated attack modified banking transactions without using authentication credentials. Thus, defending against automated attacks is becoming an increasingly high priority for businesses with an online presence.
Implementing security countermeasures to prevent automated attacks generally comes at the cost of slowing down the operation of web applications. Because perceptible latency in interactions with such applications is unacceptable to users, increasing efficiency in the fight against cyber-attacks is, and will continue to be, an important objective.